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Homilia in Psalmum CXXII

ON THE 132ND PSALM.

Hear the blessed David saying through the psalm: Behold now, what is good, or what is pleasant, for brothers to dwell in unity? For not only did he rejoice in his own achievements, but he also was gladdened by the good order of others; as somewhere he himself, having observed the eagerness of those hastening to worship, said through the Psalmist: I was glad when they said to me: We will go into the house of the Lord. Our feet have been standing in your courts, O Jerusalem. Therefore, having by all means seen the presence in one place, and being delighted by the brotherly disposition, he cried out, saying: Behold now, what is good, or what is pleasant, but for brothers to dwell in unity? The theme of the brothers' assembly from a divine command had an unsurpassable goodness; and from this goodness the pleasant is not separated. For each of those present, enjoying the love from his neighbor, we were established in great gladness. So that he also said accordingly: What is good, or what is pleasant, but for brothers to dwell in unity? As ointment on the head that runs down upon the beard, the beard of Aaron. As grace is poured out from above from heaven by the Savior upon the Church, the souls of the saints fittingly partake of the incorporeal and spiritual provision.

As the dew of Hermon, that comes down upon the mountains of Sion. For just as the dew coming down upon Mount Hermon makes it very bright; so also the spiritual dew, coming down invisibly upon the mountains of Sion, where the assembly of the brothers from all places took place, produced a corresponding benefit for their souls. Concerning this divine dew, I think, which is likened to the energies of the Holy Spirit, Isaiah discoursing says: For the dew that is from you is healing for them. The dew of Hermon, therefore, that comes down upon the mountains of Sion; for there the Lord commanded the blessing, life. In many places God promised, as Moses said: And the Lord will keep the covenant and the mercy, as he swore to your fathers, and he will love you, and bless you, and will multiply the offspring of your womb, and the fruit of your land. And he brought it on, saying: Life forevermore. Behold now, what is good, or what is pleasant, but for brothers to dwell in 30.117 unity? as you also were called. One Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father, who is over all and through all and in all. Behold now, what is good, or what is pleasant, but for brothers to dwell in unity? not only in a physical house, but also in this holy and spiritual one. For my house, he says, shall be called a house of prayer. But we also who have been enlightened have been deemed worthy of the same ointment. For Christ our Savior has anointed us all with his righteousness; through whom and with whom to the Father and to the Holy Spirit be glory and majesty unto the ages of ages. Amen.

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Homilia in Psalmum CXXII

ΕΙΣ ΤΟΝ ΡΛΒ ΨΑΛΜΟΝ.

Ἄκουε τοῦ μακαρίου ∆αβὶδ λέγοντος διὰ τοῦ ψαλ μοῦ· Ἰδοὺ δὴ, τί καλὸν, ἢ τί τερπνὸν, κατοι κεῖν ἀδελφοὺς ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτό; Οὐ μόνον γὰρ ἐπὶ τοῖς οἰκείοις κατορθώμασιν ἔχαιρεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῇ τῶν ἄλ λων ἐπευφραίνετο εὐνομίᾳ· ὥς που αὐτὸς, τὴν σπουδὴν τῶν ἐπὶ τὴν λατρείαν σπευδόντων θεασάμενος, διὰ τοῦ Ψαλμῳδοῦ ἔλεγεν· Εὐφράνθην ἐπὶ τοῖς εἰρη κόσι μοι· Εἰς οἶκον Κυρίου πορευσόμεθα. Ἑστῶ τες ἦσαν οἱ πόδες ἡμῶν ἐν ταῖς αὐλαῖς σου, Ἱερουσαλήμ. Πάντως οὖν ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ τὴν παρουσίαν ἰδὼν, καὶ τῇ ἀδελφικῇ διαθέσει τερφθεὶς, ἐβόα, λέγων· Ἰδοὺ δὴ, τί καλὸν, ἢ τί τερπνὸν, ἀλλ' ἢ τὸ κατ οικεῖν ἀδελφοὺς ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτό; Ἡ μὲν ὑπόθεσις τῶν ἀδελφῶν συγκροτήσεως ἐκ θείου προστάγματος ἀνυπέρβλητον εἶχε τὸ καλόν· τούτου δὲ τοῦ καλοῦ οὐδὲ τὸ τερπνὸν κεχώρισται. Ἕκαστοι γὰρ τῶν παρ όντων ἀπολαύοντες τῆς ἐκ τοῦ πλησίον ἀγάπης ἐν πολλῇ καθεστήκειμεν τῇ θυμηδίᾳ. Ὥστε καὶ ἀκολού θως ἔλεγεν· Τί καλὸν, ἢ τί τερπνὸν, ἀλλ' ἢ τὸ κατοικεῖν ἀδελφοὺς ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτό; Ὡς μύρον ἐπὶ κεφαλῆς τὸ καταβαῖνον ἐπὶ πώγωνα, τὸν πώγωνα τὸν Ἀαρών. Τῆς χάριτος ἄνωθεν ἐξ οὐρανοῦ παρὰ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἐπὶ τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν ἐκχεομένης, εἰκό τως μεταλαμβάνουσι τῆς ἀσωμάτου καὶ πνευματικῆς χωρηγίας αἱ τῶν ἁγίων ψυχαί.

Ὡς δρόσος ἡ Ἀερμὼν, ἡ καταβαίνουσα ἐπὶ τὰ ὄρη Σιών. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἡ δρόσος ἡ ἐπὶ τὸν Ἀερμὼν κατιοῦσα ὄρος, πολλὴν αὐτὸ ποιεῖται τὴν λαμπρότητα· οὕτως καὶ ἡ νοητὴ δρόσος, ἀοράτως κατιοῦσα ἐπὶ τὰ ὄρη Σιὼν, ἔνθα ἡ συνέλευσις τῶν πανταχόθεν ἀδελφῶν ἐγίγνετο, τὴν ἀνάλογον ταῖς ψυχαῖς αὐτῶν περιεποίει ὠφέλειαν. Περὶ ταύτης οἶμαι τῆς θείας δρόσου, τῆς ἀπεικασμένης ταῖς ἐνεργείαις τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος, ὁ Ἡσαΐας διαλεγόμενος φάσκει· Ἡ γὰρ δρόσος ἡ παρὰ σοῦ, ἴαμα αὐτοῖς ἐστιν. Ἡ δρόσος οὖν Ἀερμὼν, ἡ καταβαίνουσα ἐπὶ τὰ ὄρη Σιών· ὅτι ἐκεῖ ἐνετείλατο Κύριος τὴν εὐλογίαν, ζωήν. Πολ λαχοῦ ἐπηγγείλατο ὁ Θεὸς, ὡς εἶπε Μωϋσῆς· Καὶ διαφυλάξει Κύριος τὴν διαθήκην καὶ τὸ ἔλεος, ὡς ὤμωσε τοῖς πατράσι σου, καὶ ἀγαπήσει σε, καὶ εὐλογήσει σε, καὶ πληθυνεῖ τὰ ἔκγονα τῆς κοιλίας σου, καὶ τὸν καρπὸν τῆς γῆς σου. Καὶ ἐπήνεγκε λέγων· Ζωὴν ἕως τοῦ αἰῶνος. Ἰδοὺ δὴ, τί καλὸν, ἢ τί τερπνὸν, ἀλλ' ἢ τὸ κατοικεῖν ἀδελφοὺς ἐπὶ 30.117 τὸ αὐτό; καθὼς καὶ ἐκλήθητε. Εἷς Κύριος, μία πίστις, ἓν βάπτισμα· εἷς Θεὸς καὶ Πατὴρ, ὁ ἐπὶ πάντων καὶ διὰ πάντων καὶ ἐν πᾶσιν. Ἰδοὺ δὴ, τί καλὸν, ἢ τί τερπνὸν, ἀλλ' ἢ τὸ κατοικεῖν ἀδελφοὺς ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτό; οὐκ ἐν οἴκῳ μόνον σωματικῷ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τούτῳ τῷ ἁγίῳ καὶ πνευματικῷ. Ὁ γὰρ οἶκός μου, φησὶν, οἶκος προσευχῆς κληθήσεται. Ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡμεῖς τοῦ αὐτοῦ μύρου κατηξιώθημεν οἱ φωτισθέντες. Ἐμύρισε γὰρ πάντας ἡμᾶς τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ αὐτοῦ Χριστὸς ὁ Σωτὴρ ἡμῶν· δι' οὗ καὶ μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ καὶ τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι δόξα καὶ μεγαλοπρέπεια εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.